AFRL Supports CCID With Radio Frequency Tag Flight Tests Published Dec. 4, 2006 By Sensors Directorate AFRL/SN WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- AFRL conducted three radio frequency (RF) tag technical flight tests as part of an operational demonstration supporting the Coalition Combat Identification (CCID) technology demonstration. The test results were instrumental to modifying the radar software subsequently used during the final military utility assessment. Raytheon designed, implemented, and demonstrated the air-to-ground software improvements required for the radar to locate and identify three different RF tag types. These improvements were designed to aid the onboard radar sensor's capability to detect, locate, and track the RF tag devices built by Spectra Research, Sandia/General Atomics, and BAE Systems. The effort demonstrated the capability to identify friendly forces using collocated RF tags and the software modification to the radar's targeting sensor. The team optimized the air-to-ground identification and attack mission by improving the onboard radar's capacity both to detect RF tags in real time at long range and midrange and to accurately overlay the cue on the synthetic aperture radar map. This gave the aircrew the opportunity to identify friendly forces in a timely manner during the attack, prior to any decision to release a critical weapon. The team also developed the RF tag tracking capability, which enabled not only the tracking of a single tag, but also the simultaneous detection of multiple nearby tags.